


Hi Vanya, Hi Klaus

by fragilecapricornpanic



Series: 4 + 6 + 7 [12]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Humor, Ben Hargreeves Deserves Better, Canon Compliant, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Needs A Hug, Extra-Ordinary: My Life as Number Seven, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Humor, Implied/Referenced Drug Addiction, Klaus Hargreeves Deserves Better, Klaus Hargreeves Needs Help, One Shot, One Shot Collection, POV Alternating, Pre-Canon, Protective Ben Hargreeves, Soft Vanya Hargreeves, Vanya Hargreeves Deserves Better, Vanya Hargreeves Needs A Hug, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:22:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27546775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fragilecapricornpanic/pseuds/fragilecapricornpanic
Summary: One shot of all times Vanya and Klaus (plus Ben) bumped into each other over the years due to her living above a pawn shop. Starting not longing after the release of Extra Ordinary: My Life as Number Seven.
Relationships: Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves
Series: 4 + 6 + 7 [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1955932
Comments: 2
Kudos: 59





	Hi Vanya, Hi Klaus

**Author's Note:**

> Can be read on its own

In her usual post-book routine, Vanya rushed past the pawn shop she lived above. Bumping into Klaus would just be so awkward, merely imagining it made Vanya feel stressed. It had made her uneasy even before her memoir, but now that worry had increased tenfold. The book was supposed to have helped how she felt, supposed to have helped her move on, but it had done the exact opposite. These past few months had been some of the most isolating times of her life, which was a mighty feat. 

“Well you’re dead, so I don’t give a shit.” her brother chuckled, stumbling directly into her. Damn it, Vanya should’ve just moved after the book. Steadying herself, Vanya reluctantly steadied Klaus too, which was a difficult task considering his wobbling. Instinctively trying to check his pupils, Vanya couldn’t see them due to him barely keeping his eyes open. She had a feeling they’d be pinpricks. At least Klaus certainly wouldn’t remember this meeting, that made it kind of less cringeworthy. 

Ben wished he was physically capable of moving Klaus away from Vanya after what she’d done. Although Ben could just leave Klaus to it, he was so out of it that he couldn’t be trusted alone. Ben couldn’t literally step in to help him, but he could still incessantly nag at Klaus. “Don’t talk to her.” Ben curtly urged, feeling his blood boiling just by having to look at her. How could she do this to them, to him? “Shut up. If I wanna talk to her I’ll talk to her.”

Slowly letting go of Klaus’ arms, Vanya was prudently ready to grab him again if needs be. After so many years of Klaus whispering to himself, Vanya easily turned a blind eye. “Y’know the book?” Klaus sincerely asked, as if there was a chance she didn’t know her own memoir. The book she was growing to regret and resent, almost as much as she resented her siblings. “Yeah, I know the book.” Vanya smirked despite herself, wondering where he was going with this line of questioning.

“It’s my favorite book.” Oh. That was where he was going with this. Obviously. Why did Vanya even wonder what his intentions were? It would always be money. “Can I have a signed copy? ‘Cause I’m your biggest fan.” Part of Vanya was complimented, feeling a morsel of the accolade her siblings had gotten since childhood. People actually wanted _her_ autograph now. She was aware this pride was pathetic and vacuous, but it still felt good. Particularly because the request was coming from one of her siblings themselves, regardless of it just being to fund a drug addiction. The tables had been turned.

**— 5 Months Later —**

“Hi Vanya.” Klaus chirpily sang, noticing her walking home. “Don’t talk to her.” Ben bluntly insisted, awakening a fuzzy memory in Klaus’ brain. How did Ben still think Klaus would listen to him after all these years of him proving the contrary? Often Klaus would do the opposite from what Ben had said solely to piss him off. “Hi Klaus.” their sister apprehensively replied.

Having nothing better to do, Klaus stopped to talk to Vanya, just because Ben had told him not to. “Do you think Luther’s really on the moon, or did the rocket just go up dad’s ass?” Klaus and Vanya never had a great deal to talk about, since they were polar opposites, but contempt for Number One was pretty universal. This subject should work.

As Klaus anticipated, Ben huffily stormed away. Their sister appeared taken aback by Klaus willingly approaching her, which lined up well with how hated she’d portrayed herself as in her book. “Do they have to be mutually exclusive?” Vanya hesitantly joked, seeming unnerved to be talking about the family she’d effectively claimed didn’t exist.

The implication that the moon was located inside their father’s rectum was _hilarious_ , but Klaus needed to catch up with Ben. Being alone was depressing. “I need to leave, but thank you for that mental image.” he playfully said his farewell, waving with the correct hand. Would Ben ever forgive her?

**— 3 Months Later —**

Heading to rehearsal, Vanya popped her head into the pawnshop when she heard her brother talking. To a real person this time, though the pawnbroker didn’t seem entertained by Klaus. “Hi Klaus.” Vanya shyly uttered, clinging on to the faintest semblance of a sibling relationship. She’d lost all the others. This one was still admittedly highly strained and kind of absurd, but it was better than nothing.

“Hi Vanya.” Klaus flatly greeted, in the process of selling goods that were undoubtedly stolen. The layer of sweat covering him was telling, given it being freezing outside. Vanya gave a tiny smile and went on her way, leaving her brother to his depressing routine. Her routine was depressing too. Sleep. Eat. Violin. Repeat. No real friends, and certainly no family. It would be nice if Mrs Kowalski’s cat genuinley did want to spend time with Vanya.

**— 4 months Later —**

Catching Vanya before she went upstairs, Klaus had a fantastic idea. “Hi Vanya! Y’know the book?” The amused scoff he received was unexpected. That made sense though, of course she knew her own memoir. “Yeah, yeah. Obviously you know the book, you wrote it. What I’m saying is it’s m-“ his sister diffidently placed a hand on his arm to stop his impending spiel.

“Hi Klaus... we already did that.” she lightly informed him, clearly struggling to hold back laughter. When the hell did they do that?! “Oh, we did?” Klaus slowly muttered, trying to recall either receiving or selling the signed book. Vanya patiently nodded, like Klaus had had a brain injury. He supposed he essentially had. Goddamn it, having Ben vanish when Vanya showed up was a major inconvenience. It was like when he left he took their shared brain with him. 

**— 3 Months Later —**

A ginormous billboard of Allison’s face was exactly the thing Vanya needed to top off this terrible day. They were supposed to be sisters, but they never had been. Not really. Now they were even more distant, with Vanya fully disowned. It always hurt when her siblings disliked her, but it was especially painful when it was Allison. The only sister she’d ever have. Weird interactions with Klaus were most likely the closest Vanya would get to having a sibling for the rest of her life.

On that note, Vanya peeked into the pawnshop. Just incase. “Hi Klaus.” Her brother suspiciously jumped in front of what he was selling, which only made Vanya intrigued. She wouldn’t have cared otherwise. What was he hiding?

“Hi Vanya, I won’t hold you up. You just head on home.” her brother shadily suggested, leaning to continue covering the object when the pawnbroker moved. Vanya still saw what they were. Distinctive knives. “I have Diego’s permission, he wanted me to have them. They were... a gift. Cross my heart and hope to die.” Klaus coyly crossed himself, like he wasn’t risking death every day anyway. Ordinarily Vanya would try and convince him to do the right thing and return them to Diego, but after how he’d reacted to the book... Vanya decided not to. As childish as that was.

Backing away from the door, Vanya pondered how often Klaus did that to Diego. “Bye Klaus.” She simply chose not to care, their elder brother had been a dick to her. His anger had been mostly justifiable, but it still stung. “Bye Vanya.” Klaus gratefully grinned, relieved she wasn’t going to tattle.

**— 5 Months Later —**

So far today had been hectic for Klaus. He’d been released from rehab, immediately robbed a place, had the usual huge fight with Ben about insobriety, and now he was making yet another trip to a pawnshop. Hearing the violin before entering, Klaus shuffled backwards on the sidewalk to look through his sister’s open window. “Hi Vanya!” he yelled to be heard over the soothing music.

The melody came to an end as Vanya stopped to awkwardly wave at Klaus, the bow still in her hand. “Hi Klaus...” she presumably uttered, though she was too timid to be heard from all the way up there. She was so titchy, it was hard to resent her. They did kind of deserve what she’d written... Focusing back on his number one priority, Klaus sauntered into the pawn shop. This guy never seemed all that pleased to have Klaus’ company, which was just plain rude. It should be considered an honour.

**— 4 Months Later —**

It was the anniversary of Five’s disappearance, and Vanya was in a gloomy mood. It had been so long now since he’d gone missing, but it still hurt to be without him. Why hadn’t he just listened to her at the dinner table? No one ever listened to her. “Hi Klaus.” Vanya glumly whispered, brushing past him on the street. 

“Hi Vanya.” her brother steered her back around to facing him, which was weird. But Klaus was always weird. “Why the long face, Vanny?” Of course he didn’t know what today was. It was likely that none of her siblings remembered this anniversary. Vanya couldn’t bring herself to keep track of the years, it was too disheartening, but this date was forever tainted for her.

Five could never be replaced, but speaking to one brother was better than speaking to none. “Today’s the day Five ran away...”

Her brother began to whisperingly quarrel with nobody. It sounded like whoever he was supposedly talking to should’ve been aware of this anniversary. Did Klaus really think whispering made him talking to himself less noticeable? “If it makes you feel any better, I promise he’s not dead.” Klaus confidently assured her, as if he would be able to tell anymore. He was as powerless as Vanya. She nodded and said her thanks anyway, choosing to avoid discussing this topic more. It was too painful.

“Bye Klaus.” Vanya continued to head inside, planning on making Five’s favorite sandwich. Just like every year. “Bye Vanya.”

**— 5 Months Later —**

“You need to spend that on food.” Ben sternly nagged, aware Klaus had barely eaten recently. All he could focus on was being high.

Pfft, food. “I was planning on doing that, but I’m definitely not gonna now.” Klaus scoffed, lying through his teeth. He’d had no intention to spend the money on food. He hadn’t stolen from someplace so he could get _food_. “Hi Vanya.” Klaus absentmindedly mumbled, not looking up from the beautiful cash in his hands. He could tell the person walking by was their sister, due to Ben sulkily disappearing.

Plenty time had passed now since Vanya’s book, but Klaus knew Ben still felt stabbed in the back. He probably couldn’t move on because he was dead, having no possible way to try and cope with his feelings. “Hi Klaus.” Holding up the appropriate hand, Klaus hurriedly skulked off into an alley very familiar to him.

**— 4 Months Later —**

Why hadn’t the orchestra kicked Vanya out yet? She was so terrible compared to all of the others, it was utterly humiliating. No matter how hard Vanya practised, she always flubbed her notes. It made her skin crawl. “Hi Klaus.” Vanya violently flinched when her brother suddenly ruffled her hair, forgetting he used to do that when they were younger. Before the mistake of a book.

“Hi Vanya.” Klaus retracted his hand to sheepishly hide the rehab wristband that Vanya had glanced at. All the staff must know him by name by now, Vanya assumed. “I haven’t been in rehab, that’s old, really old. So so old. It’s like you have to be Luther to tear those things. I’m completely sober. Bye Vanya.” Klaus clumsily rushed into the pawnshop to get away from her. It was always odd when he acted embarrassed, that emotion clashed with his garish personality. At least Vanya wasn’t alone in her humiliation today. “...Bye Klaus.”

**— 6 Months Later —**

The watch wasn’t fake, the pawnbroker was just being an asshole. Since Klaus felt like he was on the verge of death, he decided to linger outside until Vanya came home. She couldn’t be too long, it was around that time. It would be easier to just wait for her than to otherwise scrounge for cash. Klaus was thrilled when he finally saw her. “Hi Vanya.” he gestured for her to hurry up and come over here. “Hi Klaus...”

“So, um, the- the prick in there wouldn’t buy what I have, and I really need money. Really really bad.” His sister sighed with hopelessness, looking down to the ground. Stopping blinking back his tears, Klaus hoped allowing himself to cry would make her more likely to pay him. “It’s the last time, I _promise_. I- I just need cash one last time. One last time. Please Vanya, I’m begging you.” Klaus was content with how pathetic he naturally sounded, he didn’t even have to pretend.

Vanya apologetically shook her head, something she’d never done before. Shit, publishing that book truly had allowed her to grow a backbone. “It doesn’t have to be much, I’ll take anything. _Anything._ ” he begged with rapidly growing desperation, prompting another shake of his sister’s head. Fuck!

It was time for intense guilt-tripping. “How do you think I have to earn the money when I have no other choice? Don’t make me do that, Vanya. I won’t have to do that if you just give me some cash...” that emotional manipulation had to work, she wasn’t made of stone. Klaus didn’t have to look at Ben to know his facial expression. The face of pure disappointment and disdain. Ben had started occasionally coming with Klaus to pawn shit again, which would imply he was no longer as furious at Vanya.

“Fine, but this is the last time.” Vanya despairingly agreed, eerily displaying the exact same expression as Ben.

**— 5 Months Later —**

Walking down the block with Klaus, Ben sullenly sighed when he saw Vanya. “Hi Klaus.” their sister politely waved as she ambled by. Being looked through and not addressed still felt like a searing blade through his very soul, regardless of how betrayed Ben had felt. Observing Vanya had always been soothing for Ben, maybe he could start to feel that way again with time.

“Hi Vanya.” both brothers responded, causing Klaus to do a double-take at Ben. Why the hell was Ben saying hi?! Klaus was supposed to be the fickle one, not him. “Talk to Vanya for me, don’t talk to Vanya, oh I’m gonna talk to Vanya. Make your goddamn mind up!”

**— 4 Months Later —**

Once again running late for her orchestra, Vanya was feeling wildly self-deprecating, chastising herself over and over. “Hi Klaus.” Vanya gave him an anxious smile as she trudged to rehearsal as fast as physically possible. Her tiny stature made even short journeys take quite a while. What if the subway was running late? This was unbearably stressful. It was astounding that they’d allowed her to become third chair, she was so disorganised and untalented. “Hi Vanya, I love your shoes!”

**— 2 Months Later —**

Turning around on the off chance that it was Vanya sauntering by, Klaus grinned when it was. “Hi Vanya!” he excitedly yelled, loud enough to make her startle. Was she easily freaked out, or was Klaus easily alarming? Perhaps the answer was a mixture of both. “Hi Klaus.” she returned, steadying her breathing after her fright.

Hurrying to join Vanya on the sidewalk, Klaus ignored Ben’s judgemental whining. It was irritating how precisely he could predict what Klaus was going to say. “Did you hear Allison’s getting divorced?!” Klaus animatedly gossiped, adoring the drama playing out in the tabloids. It was upsetting that Allison and little Claire were going through that, but holy shit were the media making it entertaining. Vanya silently nodded, still seeming incredibly uncomfortable with talking about Allison. Yikes. This was a bad thing to bring up. Awkwardly whistling, Klaus edged back into the pawnshop. “Bye Vanya.”

“Bye Klaus...”

**— 5 Months Later —**

Her face agonizingly burning from the biting cold, Vanya wished she’d had the foresight to bring a scarf this morning. “Hi Klaus.” Even he had a scarf, and half the time he wasn’t wearing a shirt. That spoke volumes for Vanya’s poor planning. “Hi Vanya.”

“Happy new year.” Vanya supposed she ought to say it, despite it now nearing the end of January. It had been a long time since they’d last crossed paths, so all festivities had been missed. That wasn’t unusual for any Hargreeves though, since holidays hadn’t been a celebrated thing for them as kids. Nothing really had, not like real families did.

Klaus pessimistically snickered, not anticipating this year being remotely happy. “Yeah, you too. I think 2019 is finally gonna be our year.” he sarcastically drawled, rightfully lumping Vanya in with his miserableness. They both knew 29 was too old to reinvent themselves. Things were set in stone.

“You never know, things could change.” Vanya remarked with much the same tone, having zero belief that this year would be any different from all the others they’d unfortunately experienced. 2019 would be just as boring as all the rest.

**Author's Note:**

> I don’t think I have many of this pre-written stuff left but it’s hard to say since they’re saved all over the place and were written over so long


End file.
